Pros: excellent information, RECIPES!, comprehensive for a small book
Cons: a few more color photos for identification would be nice
The Bottom Line: If you have ever wondered if those weeds were good for anything, this is an excellent book to read. Greatly useful and valuable reference book.
It was a hot and steamy day. The humid haze lurked over the shiny water. Each fleeting caress of shade from overhanging trees made us want to continue just another moment longer. We would be there soon. Then we could bask in the delicious kiss of the air conditioned mansion.
Yeah, right.
As we pulled into the remaining space at the side of the road, near a drop off, I look in dismay at my high heeled shoes. I must have been insane to think I would look better in high heeled shoes at a new construction site.
Once I precariously descended from the car, together, my husband and I gingerly explored the ground for footholds to continue to our destination.
Once we arrived, the mahogany front door greeted us like a scene from FAMILY AFFAIR. The house was magnificent. The interior was beautiful.
Completely encased in professionally stained and sealed wood, this lakefront home was a sight to behold.
Some weeks previous, when my husband had asked me if I would like to see the home that was making him crazy for so many months (fumes from stain are pretty mind bending), I jumped at the chance.
This very personable couple, both lawyers, were kind enough to hold an open house for all of the workers so they could see the finished product that they all worked so hard at.
The house was huge, beautiful.....and HOT!
Because of the traveling of everyone in and out of the multi-level deck, they decided not to turn on the air conditioning. Despite the stifling conditions, we visited the catered food table.
The afternoon was lovely. The woman who owned the home was a quiet person - the kind that watches people carefully before responding.
As we prepared to leave, I was excited to see a dozen or so potted plants on one of the lower decks of the home. I looked eagerly with relish at the assortment of lovely herb plants.
Sure enough, housed in the large white pot was the most beautifully cared for pigweed (also known as lamb's quarters) I had ever seen. I looked at the tag. Ruby red. Hmmm, there is a variety of pigweed with red in the title. I bet this was it.
Well, now my thrill reached a new height.
I was in the midst of a fellow forager!
Eagerly I bounded up the stairs, paying no heed to the heat and my high heels.
I burst into the small group forgetting my manners and blurted out:
" That pot out there- the white one. What is that?"
At last I would get to converse with a fellow forager who appreciated the nutritional value of lamb's quarters/pigweed.
Calmly with great control, the woman asked me what I was talking about. I told her that I was referring to that white pot of Ruby Red.
We walked over together, my anticipation growing with every step. How exciting this conversation was about to become.
As the woman peered over the ledge, she nonchalantly asked me if I was referring to THAT white pot.
I eagerly nodded, creating a small breeze with the effort.
She looked down again, and with great confidence uttered:
"That is a tomato plant."
I was about to burst into my preconceived conversation about pigweed when what she said assaulted my ears and worked its way up into my mind.
I felt like I had slammed into a brick wall.
"Tomato? Um, it looks like pigweed to me."
Mild discomfort alternating with subdued horror flashed almost imperceptibly across her face. The final look of resolve fixed itself upon her countenance.
"No. That is a tomato. My father grew it for me from seed. I know it is a tomato."
Well, THAT was unexpected.
I nodded and mumbled something about it being an interesting tomato, and mustered up every morsel of self control I could to keep myself from breaking into hysterical laughter.
So much for having a fellow forager to talk with!
SO HOW DID I KNOW THIS WAS PIGWEED/LAMBS QUARTERS?
Pigweed/Lamb's Quarters were on my mind a lot this past month, because I had recently located one of the most valuable books I have ever seen. The book is called THE FORAGING GOURMET by Katie Letcher Lyle. It is a paperback book published by Lyons and Burford Publications.
The book contains 195 pages, and is slightly larger than a paperback book. The cover is very durable, having a matte plastic type finish on it. The pages look to be recycled, but the quality is still very good. There is a lack of sheen to the pages, making it easy to read. The fonts used in the book are of good reading quality, even for older folks who have difficulty with small print.
This book was a precious find, because it is a comprehensive resource to locate, learn about, and use all kinds of weeds, and wild foods. What I particularly like about it is that each section has recipes in it.
WHAT IS THIS BOOK LIKE?
This book is written in excellent conversational style. Katie writes as an experienced forager, but in a completely "next door neighbor" style.
Katie first learned foraging from her father at age three. She spent many happy days locating and using wild sources of nourishment while living in San Diego!
The set up of this book is excellent. The Table of Contents is very detailed and specific. I will outline the basic sections, but each section has a huge subtitle list (About 100 of them total) after it, and it is way too much to put in this review.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GEARING UP
GREEN THINGS
FUNGI MUSHROOMS
FRUITS
FLOWERS & HERBS
NUTS
MISCELLANEOUS FORAGING
ANNUAL FORAGER'S CALENDAR
THE LAST WORD
APPENDIX : BASIC RECIPES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
MY REACTION TO THIS BOOK
I am really excited about this book. Despite its small size, there are so many different food sources covered here that I find it truly fascinating and exhilarating. All in all, about 65 different wild sources of food are covered.
Fiddlehead soup (uncurled fern fronds) is a basic must have recipe if you live near woods.
Sorrel soup is a way to use up those three leaf looking clover plants (yellow flowers) in a tart and healthy way.
Dandelions, cranberries, quince, cactus pear, mint, sassafras, morrels, puffballs, elderberries, rosehips, hickory nuts, wild cherries, stinging nettles, and yes, even lamb's quarters are covered in this book. The variety of topics covered is wonderful.
At the end of the book, there are basic recipes for sauces, pizza, and other things that most people will want to use often.
There is a calendar that you can use to estimate the time every year when these different foods will be ready to search out. It does not have dates, but other natural means (when the ground is thawed and green things begin to appear, look for dandelion greens, fiddleheads and sassafras root).
AN EXAMPLE OF CATEGORY SET UP
Each food source begins with a pen and ink illustration of the item. An intro about the plant is a paragraph or so. The description, habitat, and season are then featured.
After that, there is a section of history and lore about the plant. The end of the plant is graced by a usually excellent recipe. Sometimes more than one recipe is featured.
I already have been eating lamb's quarters for several years. Our elderly neighbor taught us about the different weeds that he used to eat as a child. Since then, I have always been interested in the value of these weeds, as they really do taste good if used properly.
From this book, I learned that lamb's quaters are more nutritious than spinach, and that it is also referred to as wild spinach. It is one of the most nutritious plants on the earth today.
And most farmers and home owners pull it out.
MY RECOMMENDATION
I really love this book. I have found it extremely useful for many different food sources not usually found in the same books. The foods covered are greatly varied and the assortment is delightful.
There are color photos in the center which help you identify many of the featured foods. I only wish there were more.
The paper of the book is like that of recycled paper, or thick newspaper quality. It is pretty sturdy and easy to read.
If you ever wanted to know how to get healthier without spending a lot of money, or if you just wish you could find a reason to weed your garden and USE the weeds, this book is an excellent find.
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